Panoptix lens complaints
Posted , 15 users are following.
I have been reading about all the starbursts and flickering and poor support for these expensive multi focal lenses used for cataract repair. I am really disappointed that I still have astigmatism and need glasses after spending an extra $5000 for these high tech Alcon Panoptix lenses. If you are like me, you want to be heard. Panoptix has a web page with a contact function for "feedback." Use it! I am resentful that they present misleading satisfaction surveys. Obviously their design folk focus on fun technology and not on customer satisfaction. And their designs don't seem overly robust. So many ways the surgeon can screw up. Who wants more surgery to correct toric problems or to get a new lens? We need to tell Alcon, and maybe the FDA, exactly what is wrong. It is totally ridiculous that starbursts last forever or flickering is just to be ignored. Sigh. I so feel tricked. The statistics given are misleading. These are our eyes, not a new dishwasher. Can't be replaced. We don't want successive surgeries or a lifetime of corrosive eye drops. This is a product that has been over sold. And eye surgeons don't really seem to offer good advice or solutions. I was told to ignore the problems. "Maybe they will go away." Very sad. Might be smart to share our experience and prevent a lifetime of problems for those who haven't yet had their inevitable cataract surgeries.
5 likes, 15 replies
john20510 helenmarier
Posted
l'm having cataract surgery this year, l suggested panoptix to my surgeon , he said l should go with Vivity EDOF instead, he said my reading or near vision wont be as good with vivity but theres alot less side effects
john20510
Posted
l went with vivity in my first eye a few days ago and second eye in a month, so far l love it, l have great vision near, intermediate and distance, my surgeon warned me against panoptix and said to go with vivity,
nadine69440 helenmarier
Posted
It has been almost 3 months since I had the Panoptix lens implanted. I am having extremely poor night vision in that eye -- multiple rings and lots of flare. It is happening during the day now too. In bright sunlight the railroad crossing signs or anything reflective look like rainbows. Just last night developed a new problem. I originally thought it was a huge floater, but it is not, it doesn't float, it moves in unison with my eye. The doctor has given me a .75 contact, but it didn't change the night vision at all and did only some to correct the near and mid-range blurriness. He also suggested lasik to repair the eye, but I am wondering if I shouldn't just have the lens replaced, because I don't know what my options will be for replacing the lens after lasik. Going to call now and see if I can get an appointment to find out about the new problem and ask that question. Thanks for the info on the Panoptix feedback.
RonAKA nadine69440
Posted
A "floater" that moves as fast as the eye moves sounds like posterior vitreous detachment (PVD). It can happen due to simply age but is more common after cataract surgery. I got it in one eye 10 months after surgery. The procedure to get rid of it, is ugly and not worth the risk. They keep telling me it will go away by itself....
nadine69440 RonAKA
Posted
They told me it was a Weiss Ring as you said from PVD, and that hopefully gravity will pull it downward and that it would eventually go away. Or that my brain would stop noticing it. It is tolerable when looking forward, but for activities like Pickleball it is really bothersome. I will definitely not get a Panoptix lens in my dominant eye. I would be effectively blind at night if I did. The rings and glare are so bad with the Panoptix lens, I know it is not right for me. If anyone had told me that 1 in 10 experience the really bad side effects that would keep me from ever driving at night, there is no way I would have chosen this lens. They plan to do Lasik to correct the near vision in the eye with the Panoptix lens at the end of April after I get the Truline lens in the dominant eye in mid April. I will post the results of one eye with Truline and one eye with Panoptix and the Lasik after they have some time to heal and I can adjust.
RonAKA nadine69440
Posted
Yes, mine originally looked like a solitaire engagement ring without a stone, and I could see it in 3D depending on which way I looked. I could see it flat with the whole ring showing, or at more and more of an angle. When driving if I resist looking at it, the thing stays kind of on the right shoulder of the road. But, that can be hard to do unless you can get it out of your mind. I also see it when using a computer with a window which has a white background. If you focus on the text it kind of goes away. I was given the same story about it falling down to the bottom of my eye. I kind of think that is mainly to put you off until the next appointment. If gravity makes it drop to the bottom of my eye what does it do at night when I am lying down? Will the ring critter climb back up again??? In any case over the past 6 months or so it has gotten a little less distinct. I have to try much harder to see the ring and mount image. But, it is still there unfortunately, and has not sunk out of sight!
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I had not heard of the B&L Truline lens. Are you aware that is an old lens from about 2013 or so? I don't know much about these MF lenses other than from what I see people here talking about. You are the first one that has mentioned this one from my recollection. The PanOptix is much newer from about 2020 or so, and the J&J Synergy is newer still from about 2021. There is a good chance that the Truline could have the same issues as the PanOptix or worse. You may want to start a new thread to get opinions about it, or do a search here. It could be a jump from the frying pan to the fire choice...
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I am basically done now with a monofocal in both eyes in a monovision configuration. I have no regrets. I think there is an option however to use a distance set monofocal in the dominant eye, and a MF or EDOF in the non dominant eye. I might lean more toward that choice.
RonAKA
Posted
Rereading your posts, I think I would consider getting a Clareon monofocal in your dominant eye set for distance (-0.25 D target), and leaving the PanOptix in your non-dominant eye for now. Then you could see if that works out for you at night. The better night vision from the Clareon monofocal may help you ignore the flare/halos from the PanOptix. If that does not work out, then you could consider an exchange on the PanOptix. It could be simple monovision with another Clareon but targeted for -1.5 D myopia, or a Vivity targeted for -1.0 D myopia.
Guest helenmarier
Edited
I believe the Trulign is the toric version of the Crystalens. The Crystalens doesn't have diffractive rings like a multifocal so it shouldn't have halos but the consensus is that it doesn't actually work for presbyopia. This lens has largely fallen out of favour and very few surgeons still use it. It provides little if any accommodation (adjustable focus) and in some cases the hinged haptics have even bent in the wrong direction and/or the lens has become tilted due to it's novel haptic design. It's even been subject to recalls. And there have been lawsuits. I would not choose this lens and to be honest if any surgeon even recommended this lens to me I would find another surgeon. I'm surprised B&L is even still allowed to sell it after all the problems with it. I would use an Alcon Vivity or Alcon Monofocal in the second eye (in the Clareon material if available where you live).
helenmarier
Posted
Taking 600 x 3 mg gabapentin. Headaches reduced. Cannot drive at night due to huge starbursts around headlights. Anyone try yellow driving glasses? Got my responses back from complaints to Alcon. I guess I must be the only dissatisfied client to complain? Completely bogus response. Crooks!
TDL.Albuq helenmarier
Posted
Hello, had Panoptix Toric lenses in both eyes in December of 2021. Have had nothing but problems. Have since been diagnosed with corneal neuralgia (nerve pain in eyes), due to the corneal nerves being cut during the cataract surgery. Eyes in constant pain, burning, headaches. In addition, there are many visual disturbances which my doctors attribute to the neuralgia, but I'm not sure this is the case. Sometimes feel like my vision is "under water" and wavy and I feel woozy, like I've had a few drinks. But I haven't!! I do also have a lot of glare and halos. I think I could live with the glare and halos, but not the woozy feeling. It is hard to describe, but has anyone else had this happen? This surgery and lenses have honestly been the worst thing to happen to me in my entire life. Feel like they have ruined my life!
tracey56497 helenmarier
Posted
I have flickering light problems more so during the day. I have seen a retinal dr. and he says I need to have a laser for the capsules. one is cloudy and 1 is wrinkled. I have floaters and little bubbles. as long as I don't move my gaze, everything is fine. when I start looking around the light flickers as if a light bulb would as it is going out. Both eye drs. can not tell me why. I have asked if it is how the light hits the lens. Not really.... I told the dr before the surgery that I had bad floaters. His response was they will go away. I also paid 5000. which only covers 90 past the surgery. guess what? It's past that now. I'm still trying to get a solution.
MonaMe helenmarier
Edited
My first operation with the PanOptix IOL was July 5, 2022, and the second was July 14, 2022.
First of all I want to state that I love my PanOptix Vision. Seeing at all distances without glasses is a gift, and I love these lenses. I am a 72 years old female, and I enjoy running at night. It's been six months since my PanOptics IOL's were implanted, and I wanted to share my experience.
Of course, everything in life is a 'trade off', and the PanOptix IOL's are no exception.
I went through seeing something running along side me and disappearing. That lasted about one week. Also kept seeing a 'dark spot' that went away in about two weeks.
The worst part of the PanOptix IOL's was the feeling of sandpaper in my eyes. And, I was constantly putting drops in my eyes. Best drops were/and are Refresh Celluvisc. They are Preservative Free. The second thing I like using in my eyes (before bedtime) is a NIGHTTIME eye ointment by Alcon called GenTeal Tears (it's in a little tube). The sandpaper feeling was so bad that I was seriously thinking of having these lenses removed even though I loved my vision.
HERE IS YOUR 'FIX' FOR SANDPAPER EYES, and I know this will sound stupid because it is so simple.
PUT HEAT ON YOUR EYES! There are oily tear ducts in your eyes that become clogged. IT IS THE LACK OF THESE OILY TEARS THAT CAUSE DRY EYE. There are heating masks especially made for this reason (the heat opens up these oily eye ducts). Most of the heated eye masks use a USB port. Do NOT use the USB outlet on your computer because it is not strong enough. Buy a simple $10 wall adapter that plugs into the wall outlet. And, Folks, I kid you not, this will work wonders for your eyes. You can also use a microwave heated mask (or a hot washcloth), but it doesn't stay warm long, and the masks are better. This is a game changer, and I can't believe how well it works. A heating pad works, too.
After six months night driving is still difficult. All lights look like spider webs (huge rings around lights). This, will never go away. I understood there would be 'halos' assoicated with night driving, but did not understand it would be this bad. I am also a night-time runner, and these spider webs are interesting at best. This is my 'trade off', but I will live with these night-time spider webs to have almost perfect vision.
Part of the problem is the surgeons and eye doctors do not really understand how the PanOptix IOL's affect their patients. Most of these doctors are young, and have not personally experienced cataract surgery or PanOptix IOL's. To these doctors, the PanOptix Lens is a wonderful solution for cataract surgery; however (and this is a big 'however'), everyone sees differently out of these PanOptix Lenses, and there is no way to tell how each individual person will see out of these lenses before the surgery. This is a serious problem, and I don't see any way around it.
I wish you all well with whatever IOL you decide to have implanted. Good Luck!
jeff25870 helenmarier
Edited
MonaMe identified a problem and I strongly agree: Doctors don't know what we see with these lenses, but they need to know. We can only tell them OR we can show them with artwork.
I have Planoptix lenses, and I see multiple images. There is the dominant primary image, but there are at least four more that are lighter and somewhat transparent. The various images are offset from the primary image. There are two images that are above the primary; there is one down and to the right, and there is one or more to the left. In very good light, these images are almost invisible. They are obvious, though, when viewing white images (text or simple diagrams) on a black background. The worst is when viewing objects emitting light (headlights, traffic signals, streetlights, etc.) from a dark background. Waiting at a traffic signal at night, looking at a left-turn arrow, I see at least 5 extra images positioned all around the primary.
The offset of the images seems to be an angular offset rather than an absolute distance offset. For instance, the second image above the primary is farther above it at a distance than when the viewed object is nearer. A traffic signal from a block away looks like an upside down cross. As I approach, it becomes more clover shaped. A beautiful crescent moon is now for me a crowd of competing crescents.
Like others, I have huge halos around headlights. (This was the only problem the surgeon mentioned. He called them "little halos." As we know, they're not little. Some cars look like a huge owl dragging its beak down the road.) The worst practical problem with the multiple images is that the overlap of images makes text hard to read at some sizes and distances, and faces are difficult to recognize. I struggle to read text on my smart watch. This is related to the size of the image in my visual field, the angle it subtends. The moon subtends a really small angle; you can cover it with your pinky at arm's length. A face on a 40-inch TV at a distance of 12 feet may be really small. A traffic signal a block away subtends a very small angle, as do headlights. (I do note that different shaped headlights produce different effects. A single bright light makes large circular halos. Thing is, my halos might be different from yours because of my multiple images. Do I have multiple halos that interfere? We'd have to draw them for each other to know.)
For my next discussion with the surgeon, I'm trying to do some artwork to illustrate. I'm no artist; I'm using PowerPoint. But I think he should be interested in what I see. So far he has wanted a quick escape when I mentioned problems. He congratulated me and left. But then I was struggling to describe what I was seeing. ("White text on a black backround looks like it's floating in milk.") I've been analyzing it ever since, and I can make decent pictures to show him. He should know there's a possibility of much worse than "little halos."
soks jeff25870
Posted
if you see the moon like in the picture you need astigmatism glasses. they make huge difference for me.
c55737 helenmarier
Edited
I am an ophthalmologist in practice for over 40 years. When I began training there were no lens implants, only cataract eye glasses or contact lenses. I trained with a pioneer in lens implant surgery.
I recently had cataract surgery and have Panoptix lenses in both eyes. Yes, I have some of the issues mentioned in this discussion. I did not expect perfection, as perfection is an unrealistic expectation.
Vision is a perception. If we take 100 people and provide as as exact as possible, the same care and result, there will be an array of perceived results. Some will be ecstatic and others miserable.
I do not minimize complaints but much of what we do, as physicians, is out of our control. Doctors want satisfied patients nearly as much as patients want to be satisfied.
I do not believe any physician willfully and knowingly tries to mislead patients.